Breathe Me In

  When she realized pretty much all of her imagined responses were edging toward the yes-yes-YES! category—hell, they were nearing the jump-his-bones-NOW category—she knew it was time to go.

  “You know, it’s getting kind of late…I have work in the morning.”

  “Ah. Gotcha. Didn’t mean to keep you out past your bedtime.”

  “It’s okay. Except for the part where I feared for my life, I’ve had fun. It’s good to…get to know you.” Ugh. Awkward goodbyes. She hated those. “Since it seems our best friends are pretty much inseparable now and everything.”

  “Right. Hey, thanks for chasing off my newest stalker.”

  Macy laughed. “No problem.” Funny thing was, she didn’t want to leave, even knowing she had work tomorrow. He was someone she could imagine talking to all night long, and it had been a long time since she had that, too.

  “Before I let you go, though, I need proof this actually happened.” Leaning toward her, he held his cell phone out in front of them. “Smile pretty.” She made a silly face. When he snapped the picture and turned it around to have a look, both of them laughed—he’d made a silly face too.

  Telling her to hang on a sec, he got out, and she watched him walk around the front of the car. It was only as he pulled her driver’s door open that she noticed the black SUV creep by out on the street. Strange, because it looked vaguely familiar—it looked like Candace’s brother’s Navigator, with the white sticker on the back window. Jameson had a Baylor sticker in the same place. She wouldn’t think anything of it, except that Jameson was as protective of Candace as her parents were, and they probably all had it out for Brian right now if what Ghost said was true.

  For a second, she debated whether to call Ghost’s attention to the vehicle. But for all she knew, that wasn’t even James, and she was probably just being paranoid as usual. So she kept quiet.

  Anyway, what was Ghost up to? He leaned comfortably against the side of her car and chatted another minute, but other than that, made no move whatsoever. Didn’t touch her. Didn’t kiss her. Didn’t…throw himself into her hard and put his hand between her legs.

  God, what was wrong with her?

  She was horny, that’s what, and it was jacking with her judgment big time.

  “Well, have a good night, Macy,” he finally said as the conversation began to languish back into awkward-silence territory.

  She gave him a smile. His gaze strayed to her mouth. This was it. He was going to kiss her. “You too,” she said, resisting the urge to sweep her tongue across her lips.

  “We should do this again.”

  Her heart flipped over. “Oh?”

  “Sure. Any objections?”

  “No.” The one syllable slipped out with no hesitation whatsoever.

  “Give me your number.” He tapped it into his phone as she recited it. “’Kay. I’ll text you mine. And I promise to answer. I don’t mind you stalking me, if you’re so inclined.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” That heart-stopping grin appeared one more time, to top off a crazy, heart-stopping night and rattle her brain a final time. He straightened. Put his hand on her door, let that gaze drift down again. Kiss me.

  “All right,” he said. Paused. “Sleep tight.”

  And he shut her door.

  What?

  He walked away. She couldn’t not watch him go, and as she did everything but sleep tight later in her empty bed, it was that hard body she imagined beside her, over her, inside her.

  Chapter Three

  Damn. He couldn’t believe that had just happened. Even as Ghost tried in vain to get to sleep hours later, she lingered in his mind. And he’d only spent a couple of hours with her, if that. He was tempted to text her, but she might begin to think he was the stalker. Nah, he would play this one cool.

  If anyone knew what an idiot he could be over girls like her, it was him. That self-awareness had come to painful clarity a few years back, and he always tried to hold the pain close so he never forgot.

  Macy’s smile, though…Macy’s fucking smile could make him forget pain even existed in the world. From the angry, vulnerable losing-her-grip girl in the sushi bar to the carefree girl who’d called a complete stranger and chewed her ass out, she was alluring. Beautiful. And he wanted to know more, not only about that body but that mind, that soul. Something was behind those hazel eyes, something that shadowed them. Her beauty had caught his attention, yeah…but the rest of her would keep it. For far too long.

  He hadn’t even considered making a move. She’d have shot him down at that point. No doubt in his mind. For another far more compelling thing, even if she hadn’t, he probably would have embarrassed himself.

  Beneath the covers, he was hard from the memory of all the impossible ideas that had run through his head. Those gorgeously shaped lips sighing and gently panting from his touch. How soft and smooth her skin would be—he could tell by looking. How fucking good she smelled. Even the thought of her tentatively accepting his touch and then pushing him away set his blood on fire. He loved good girls. Loved to keep them wanting, questioning themselves. Giving them something to think about all night.

  But something told him Macy might not quite be all that good. He had no fears whatsoever that she held the virginal status of her best friend. Here and there he’d seen flashes of hunger in her eyes that told him she knew what it was all about. Maybe he’d get lucky and that hunger would turn to starvation. Maybe he’d be the one she came to.

  Yeah, fat chance, buddy.

  Fuck. There was no fighting it, and hell, why should he? He slid his hand down his belly, toward his aching dick. Even if it was only her beauty in his head and not his cock buried deep in her body, it was release, and he needed it. He had the feeling he would need it a lot in the days to come.

  He woke in a fog to a ringing phone, emitting curses that would’ve had his nana smacking him in the mouth. Sunlight streamed through his windows at an angle he rarely saw.

  “Dude, what the fuck?” he answered without even checking the display.

  “Get your ass down here,” Brian said. He sounded out of breath. Ghost immediately shot up, the sheet still twisted around his torso and haphazardly through his legs.

  “Where?”

  “The studio. Someone fucking trashed it.”

  “What?”

  “Just get here, man. I need you.” The connection went dead.

  Christ on a cracker. Who the hell would trash Dermamania, and why? And when? He and Macy had been there till almost one in the morning.

  Obviously later than that, dumbass. His head still hadn’t cleared as he dug around for the jeans he’d discarded the night before, having no time to scrounge through the laundry for a new pair. He wasn’t exactly awesome at domestic organization.

  When he screeched into the parking lot of his workplace minutes later, Candace and Brian were having it out right in front of everyone judging by their wild, agitated gestures. Brian didn’t need this shit right now on top of everything.

  Behind them, the sight of the tattoo parlor was like a punch to the gut. Dermamania, which he’d left in perfect condition last night around one a.m., now had shattered front windows and no doubt massive damage on the inside.

  As Ghost climbed out of his car, feeling sick, Brian and his brother Evan left in Evan’s truck. Candace wandered off with Starla, her face drawn and devastated. Ghost plucked his cell from his pocket and fired off a quick text to his best friend. You all right?

  No. Jameson Andrews fucking filing charges on me now. Fucker did this, I know it. I need you to stay there until I get back.

  No prob dude.

  Ghost turned Brian’s accusation over in his head. It was an amazing coincidence if the parlor got trashed from an unknown the same night Brian decked Andrews in the nose, but Ghost simply didn’t think Jameson Andrews had the brass cajones to do something like this to a bunch of big, tattooed motherfuckers, especially one who had just whooped his ass. Maybe he was wrong. Ma
ybe the little douchebag thought his name would protect him. If it turned out he’d done this, he’d better think again.

  The officer on the scene wouldn’t let him inside, but he could see the damage clearly from his vantage point. It looked like the bastard had taken a baseball bat to the place, seemingly as fast as possible. Destroyed the TVs, as much of the equipment as he could, and tore Brian’s art off the walls. He’d even spray painted some of the walls. Ghost laced his fingers behind his head and tried to maintain control before he hit something.

  “You work here?” the nearest cop asked him.

  “Yeah.” He blew out a breath and forced himself to relax. “Anything missing?”

  “Doesn’t appear to be, according to the owner.”

  The angry rampage of a spoiled little shit. “Brian did tell you he has an enemy, right?”

  “He mentioned it. Anything you can tell us?”

  “Only that I was here until around one o’clock last night and the place was fine when I left. I didn’t see anything suspicious.” As the officer quickly made a note, Ghost chewed over dropping Macy’s name and decided against it. Probably a bad idea, but really, she hadn’t seen anything he hadn’t. Why drag her into all this?

  He scoffed at the idea of her spending a couple of hours with him and then getting a visit from the cops about it. How freaking classic.

  The officer asked a few more questions, took all of his information down and gave him a card with a number to call if he remembered anything else. Whatever. Ghost doubted they’d be putting in overtime down at the station to investigate; this town was so fucking conservative the citizens and surrounding businesses would probably be more than happy to see the parlor shut down permanently.

  So much for his livelihood the next few weeks.

  The curse he muttered got Janelle’s attention, and his coworker wandered over from where she’d been looking in the busted windows. Her short, usually spiked blue hair was flat and demure this morning. “Sucks, doesn’t it,” she said glumly.

  He agreed, and then remembered the scene with Brian and his girlfriend. “Why the hell was Candace giving Brian shit?”

  “I tried not to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t really help it. I gather it was about the possibility of her brother doing this.”

  “Well, if he did it, the sonofabitch oughta pay. If she doesn’t think so then—”

  “I don’t think she’s mad because Brian thinks he did it. She’s upset that her family would strike out at him and thinks he’d be better off without her.”

  She might be onto something, if this was the result of their hooking up. But he didn’t say that. He might say it to Brian later, though. It was affecting them all now, and maybe he was a jaded bastard, but Ghost couldn’t imagine any relationship being worth all this.

  Macy’s amused hazel gaze floated through his mind and he felt a little bit guilty and resentful about being such a jaded bastard.

  “Did I hear you say you were here late last night?” Janelle asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Doing what? That’s not like you.”

  “I wasn’t trashing the fucking place, if that’s what you’re—”

  “Oh God, don’t be a dick. I’m just saying it’s weird for you not to cut out soon as closing time comes around.”

  Again, he doubted Macy would appreciate him getting the rumor mill working overtime. He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I was here late. I didn’t see anything. End of story.”

  “Fine.” She ambled away, leaving him alone for the moment. In a few minutes, though, Connor and Tay showed up to curse and vow revenge along with him. Not long after that, Evan dropped Brian off. The guy looked like a caged animal that had been zapped with a cattle prod one too many times, and they pretty much let him brood on his own as he paced around and muttered under his breath.

  Ghost wasn’t a big enough idiot to ask him if he was all right. He knew the answer to that. But he did walk over and stand beside him once his pacing slowed and he finally stood staring into the busted-out maw of his business and the detritus within with his arms crossed.

  “I can’t believe this, man,” Brian finally said. He was positively trembling with pent-up rage.

  “I know.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “Well, it’s not just me now; that fucker has dragged you guys into this too.”

  “We’re with you. We’ll get it all back.”

  “Just so he can do it again?”

  “I’m sure there will be ways to persuade him not to do that, know what I’m sayin’?”

  Brian shook his head. “Where will it end? We kick his ass, the pussy sends us to jail. We get out, kick his ass again, he sends us back. That’s how little piece-of-shit piss-ant cowards operate.”

  “Right. That’s definitely what we’re dealing with.”

  “And Candace, she thinks the answer is to give that motherfucker and her entire family exactly what they want.” Ghost remained silent for so long that Brian finally looked over at him. “I guess you have something to say.”

  “Something you might hit me for.”

  “Then don’t say it. Not now.”

  “All right.” He sighed then, defeat settling in when he realized Brian was quite possibly more upset over Candace’s reaction than the building. “No really, man. I’m with you. I’m on your side. You know what you have with her and if she’s worth it, then hang in.”

  “I kind of need her on board with that too, and right now she’s not.”

  “If she loves you like that, she won’t stay away for long.”

  Brian scoffed. “When did you turn into a fuckin’ romantic?”

  Last night? “Oh, piss off.”

  The problem with first love was that it usually led to first heartbreak. Macy sighed after listening to Candace blubber for ten minutes and finally pulled her in for a hug when her words dissolved into hiccupping sobs. They sat on Macy’s couch, having settled in for an ice cream binge while trying to find something to lift Candace’s spirits on TV. It didn’t look promising.

  Seriously. How many people really ended up with their first love? Well…her parents, if they were to be believed. But still. It was rare. And while Macy wished she could spare her best friend the pain, she supposed in the end it was a necessary evil. Now Candace could work on getting over Brian and moving on with her life, maybe to another guy her parents wouldn’t want to lynch on sight.

  Macy wasn’t trying to be the bad guy. She simply believed there was someone out there that Candace could love without bringing down the entirety of the Andrews family’s wrath on her head. But Candace didn’t need to hear that now. So Macy kept her mouth shut and murmured soothing nonsense while Candace cried all over her.

  A knock at the door sounded a minute later—probably Sam. “Come in!” Macy called. Candace didn’t even bother raising her head.

  The door opened and Sam breezed in, her expression dangerously full of purpose as she tossed her purse aside and took Macy’s burden away from her, grabbing Candace in a hug.

  “I’m so sorry,” Samantha crooned, stroking Candace’s blond hair like a mom soothing a toddler with a boo-boo. “It’s going to be okay.”

  “No it isn’t!” Candace wailed.

  “Honey, talk to him. You can work this out.”

  Macy wanted to throttle Sam, but she chewed her bottom lip to keep from screaming.

  Candace sat up and swiped her palms hard over her cheeks, really only succeeding in smearing her mascara almost to her ears. “It’s no use. They won’t leave us alone. At least not now. Maybe after some time passes…but oh my God, I already miss him so much. And the thought of him finding someone else… It’s killing me.”

  “Then fight for him, sweetie.”

  “No,” Macy blurted. Both girls looked at her in surprise, then dawning anger. “Candace, you’re right,” she explained quickly. “They will never leave you alone. You’d end up having to run away with the gu
y, and I know you don’t want it to come to that. You don’t want to turn your back on the people who’ve been there your entire life. You don’t want to have to leave us.”

  “It’s not fair!” Candace cried. “That’s almost exactly what Michelle said. But why is it that I have to turn my back on him just to make all of you happy?”

  It felt like talking to a damn teenager. “Did you think he was going to marry you? Come on, Candace. This was a fling for him. Don’t let your emotions get so tied up in it. Better for it to end now and be done with.”

  “Macy, I slept with him,” Candace said. Sam didn’t comment, but she hadn’t stopped glowering at Macy.

  “I know, but—” Damn, no, I only know that because Ghost insinuated it. “I mean, I know you’ve built that up into a big deal in your head, but—”

  “He made a bigger deal of it than I did. I wanted him the first night we hung out together, but he stopped, Macy. He wanted it to be right for me. You don’t know what he says to me. You don’t know how he looks at me. I might be new at all this, but I know how he makes me feel. You don’t. You don’t know shit about it, so shut up.”

  “I’m just trying to—”

  “You can think whatever you want, but I’m not going to listen to you cheapen what we have. What are you, jealous or something? I don’t get it. You’ve been on their side from the start, and I’m fucking sick of it, Macy.”

  Macy could only stare. Candace had never, ever, ever spoken to her that way before…had never looked at her that way before. Right before her eyes, her friend appeared years older. Not a girl fostering a painful crush. A woman suffering dire heartbreak.

  With her own eyes stinging, Macy stood and went to do something…what, she didn’t know. After a moment of staring aimlessly around her kitchen, she put on a pot of coffee.

  Maybe she was jealous. Maybe she did want what Candace had. Ghost’s smile drifted through her mind, and she almost smiled in response to it as she watched dark, fragrant liquid fill the carafe. But heartbreak unfolding in her own living room should be throwing up red flags all over the place. That certainly wasn’t what she wanted.